


Tumblr Kiss Prompts

by surena_13



Category: The Expanse (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Tumblr Prompts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23376451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surena_13/pseuds/surena_13
Summary: Expanse ficlets based on prompts given on Tumblr. Most are Bobbie/Chrisjen with a couple of exceptions.Chapter titles show the pairing.
Relationships: Chrisjen Avasarala/Bobbie Draper, Chrisjen Avasarala/Cotyar, Cotyar/Bobbie Draper
Comments: 1
Kudos: 28





	1. Chrisjen/Bobbie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lingering kiss before a long trip apart

Shifting the bag a little higher up on her shoulder, Bobbie sighed. It would be strange to not feel the pull of 1G permanently anymore. She had gotten used to it now. She didn’t feel pull the anymore. It felt normal. It was just another thing that proved that she had maybe stayed too long on Earth. The other thing was that she hated the idea of leaving. It was the right thing to do. She had to go home, be a marine. But the thought of leaving this planet behind, with its ocean and breathable air, it hurt.

And deep down she knew it wasn’t the non-recycled air, or the endless horizons or even the meat that didn’t come from a vat. It was Chrisjen. The goddamn Secretary-General of the UN. The most impossible, stubborn person she had ever met. And that she now didn’t want to leave. It was the one thing that could make her ignore her duty, what she felt for her.

Shit.

She hadn’t planned for any this. Not defecting, not getting mixed up in the whole protomolecule, staying on Earth after it was all over and definitely not falling in love with Chrisjen. But all of it had happened and now here she was, waiting for the dropship to descend so she could leave it all behind, become a proper Martian again, go back to sleeping without a small woman wrapped around her.

Above her the dropship was coming down and she took a deep breath. Time to go. She was back in her uniform. It almost felt like it had months ago when a ship was coming to take her back to Mars, only to have it canceled by Chrisjen. That wasn’t going to happen this time. Hell. Chrisjen was the one who had arranged her transport.

“Sergeant Draper.” Bobbie spun around. There was no mistaking that voice. Chrisjen was there, her guards a respectable distance away. She looked beautiful, standing there in the sunlight, looking every bit the leader of Earth that she was. She was here, she was really here.

Bobbie dropped her bag and almost broke out into a run to close the distance between the two of them. She had resigned herself to not seeing Chrisjen again for a long time, except in messages and newsfeeds, but here she was and it took everything for her to not wrap her in her arms and pick her up. They were out in public after all.

“What are you doing here? I thought this morning was goodbye?” Chrisjen had actually blocked out the time during breakfast, no calls, no crises, just the two of them, taking the time to enjoy each other before saying their goodbyes. It had hurt, even though they had both put on brave faces, not trying to make it any harder than it was. She thought she wouldn’t see her again for a long time, but she was here and she could still touch her.

“It was. I don’t give a fuck.” Bobbie smiled, her heart beating faster. Chrisjen reached up to cup her jaw and, apparently really not giving a fuck about anything including any drones, pulled her down for a kiss. The kind of kiss that made Bobbie’s toes curl and her knees weak. This was it. One last kiss goodbye and this time it felt final, so Bobbie wasn’t willing to let go. She wanted this to last. One last chance to properly memorize the way Chrisjen felt in her arms, how she tasted. She didn’t want it to end.

But it had to, eventually. Bobbie regretted it immediately and kept her eyes closed for a moment longer, resting her forehead against Chrisjen’s. Her own voice sounded foreign to her when she spoke. “I’m going to miss you.”

“Me too.” Bobbie slowly opened her eyes and pulled back. There weren’t any tears. They had agreed that they wouldn’t cry. They would see each other again on the other side of this Ring business, even though no promises about that had been made. No tears. So Bobbie pushed away the pain that she felt, that she knew they were both feeling and stepped back.

“Come visit me on Mars sometime.” She hoped Chrisjen would. She would love to show her home. It wasn’t as impressive as Earth, but she wanted to show Chrisjen Mars the way she had shown her Earth. Chrisjen nodded and straightened her back, the mask of Secretary-General slowly slipping back into place.

“I will.” Bobbie nodded and turned away, walking towards the ship that had now landed, picking up her bag along the way. Time to go back home.


	2. Chrisjen/Bobbie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tentative kisses given in the dark

Chrisjen was tired to the bone when she opened the door the quarters she shared with Bobbie. She’d like to claim that she wasn’t trained for this for this fucking mess, but she was. She had been trained for everything from a young age and running a planet from millions of miles away while dealing with the fallout of a thankfully short war, shoving away her grief and having scientists sent her messages with incomprehensible words about the goddamn protomolecule, it was actually what she knew how to do without falling apart.

That didn’t mean it wasn’t wearing her down.

She was actually looking forward to sleeping in that uncomfortable bunk when she stopped dead in her tracks when someone was already in there. Bobbie. Shit. She knew she would be allowed to sleep in her own bed today, no longer needing damaged muscles and bones to be repaired in the medbay. But it had somehow slipped Chrisjen’s mind until now. Bobbie hadn’t chosen her own bunk, but had fallen asleep in Chrisjen’s. She felt her heart clench at the sight of the marine, looking vulnerable, hints of bruises still on her skin.

As quiet as possible she undressed, slipped into the shirt about five sizes too big for her that Amos had given her, and made to climb onto the top bunk, when a hand settled on her hip. “Don’t go up there. Sleep with me.”

Chrisjen raised her eyebrows and Bobbie, despite the sleep in her voice and the fatigue in her body, rolled her eyes. “Not like that. Just, get in here. I don’t want to be alone.”

Bobbie lifted the blanket and looked at her with those big brown eyes and just fuck, that was hard to say no to. With a sigh, she gestured for Bobbie to make some room in the already small bunk and lay down beside her. She was so warm and solid and despite being so tired, it felt comforting to be in the same bed as Bobbie, to feel that she was alive, so very alive after everything that had happened. She was grateful that Bobbie flicked off the lights before her emotions threatened to bubble up and overtake her like she was some fucking kid.

In the darkness, Bobbie moved closer, resting her forehead against Chrisjen’s, tangling their legs together like this was normal. And the strangest fucking part was that it didn’t even feel odd. It felt right. Carefully she moved her head so her nose bumped against Bobbie’s and even in the darkness, she knew the Martian was smiling. A hand landed on her waist, pulling her a little bit closer. Bobbie needed this comfort, they both did.

Chrisjen was grateful that she had shut off her handheld for the night when she felt Bobbie shifting closer, her breath hot against her cheek. No distractions. She was allowed to take a moment or two for herself before Earth would claim all her time. It didn’t shock her when she felt Bobbie’s lips brush against the corner of her mouth. Chrisjen smiled and brought her hand up to cup Bobbie’s jaw and guide her so their lips could properly meet.

It was a soft kiss, gentle, almost platonic if it weren’t for the way Bobbie gripped her waist. After that first short kiss, Chrisjen captured her lips in longer kiss, still keeping it soft. She craved the closeness, knowing there was one person she cared about that she had sent into a hellish situation that had come back out. Knowing that she was allowed to care without it ending in death and misery.

“I’m glad you’re alive and well,” she whispered, stealing another kiss. It had been a long time since she had allowed herself a moment like this and she suspected it would be a long time before she would have another one.

“Me too.” That small admission meant a lot to Chrisjen. She had been worried that even after slaying her monster, Bobbie would still put her life on the line to avenge her dead team which wouldn’t accomplish a goddamn thing. She was glad that Bobbie had come around. “Even if it means you’re now enemy number one.”

“Don’t fucking remind me.” Bobbie chuckles softly and pulled Chrisjen closer until there was no space left between them, kissing her again and again, short, little kisses until the exhaustion caught up with them and Bobbie yawned and unsuccessfully tried to cover it up. Chrisjen moved to press her lips to Bobbie’s forehead. “Let’s sleep. We both need it.”


	3. Chrisjen/Bobbie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected kiss that shocks the one receiving it

Bobbie had put on her power armor so many times, she hadn’t ever bothered to keep count. It felt like a second skin, the weight familiar, the parts clicking into place like they had never left. But it was different this time. It had been different on the Guanshiyin, but that had been a crisis situation, adrenaline and training taking over. But she was on Martian frigate that wasn’t Martian anymore, surrounded by everything her planet had made.

But she was donning her armor as a traitor, as a defector, snapping everything into place to help a bunch of misfits and an Earther who would have died if it weren’t for her. Nothing about this should feel right, she didn’t have her team to yell encouraging words at, no hatred at Earth to spew. It was just her and her armor, and a people she barely knew but had to trust to stop a war.

“When the rains fall hard on Olympus Mons, who are we?” she whispered as she checked the ammo of her gun. Somewhere she could hear the answering call, the sound of her team filling the small space, their voices echoing off the walls.

“MMC.” The far too familiar voice reached her ears and she spun around, eyebrows raised. Avasarala just smiled, leaning against the ladder, looking just as comfortable there as she had in her own office. It was a skill that Bobbie almost felt envious of.

“How did you - - ?”

“Do you think I can’t recognize a Martian Marine Corps battle cry? I thought there was a lot more crushing our mountains and draining our rivers in it.” There wasn’t any venom behind her words and despite having been stuck in same room as her for several days, it was difficult to reconcile this softer side of Avasarala with the woman who could cut down anyone with her words. Even stripped of her finery and a good few inches shorter in her mag boots than her heels, she was still an intimidating person.

Bobbie shrugged. “Seems pointless now.”

“It does. Things have changed too fucking much.” Avasarala looked up at her, not in the slightest put off by Bobbie’s height or the armor that made her even more lethal. Her expression was surprisingly soft. “Not all of it for the worse.”

The intensity of the look in her eyes made Bobbie’s breath catch in her throat. How was she having this effect on her without doing anything? Right before Bobbie was walking into whatever the fuck was going on down on Io as well. “Why are you down here? Shouldn’t you be up there with Holden?”

“Don Quixote can take care of himself, for a little while anyway, without blowing up the system. I came here to tell you to do what you think is right down there. Don’t be too fucking reckless. And don’t die.” She sounded oddly vulnerable, despite her bravado to be the powerful Earther politician. Avasarala’s hand had landed on her chest plate and Bobbie swore she could feel the warmth of her skin through her armor.

“Is that an Earther battle cry?” She said lamely, trying to cut through some of the tension that was suddenly in the air.

“No. But you can consider it an order if you like.” There was a moment of silence where Bobbie wasn’t sure what to do, what to say. Avasarala seemed to know, raising herself up on her toes, her hand moving to the back of Bobbie’s neck. Bobbie’s brain shut off. She just stopped thinking, unable to deal with the fact that this was real, this was happening. She watched Avasarala’s face moving closer and her eyes fell shut of their own accord.

At the first touch of Avasarala’s, or Chrisjen’s, she should probably start thinking of her as Chrisjen now, Chrisjen’s lips against her own, Bobbie felt her heart stop. She was being kissed by Chrisjen, right before a possible deadly mission down to Io and she had no idea how to respond. She just let it happen, she let the kiss happen.

Until Chrisjen tried to pull back. She suddenly snapped into action, wrapping an arm around her waist, holding her close, finally kissing her back. Chrisjen felt so much smaller than she looked. Bobbie had no idea why this was happening, but she didn’t want it to stop. Chrisjen knew how to kiss. If she had had her helmet on, she was pretty sure it would tell her heartbeat was off the charts.

It was with regret that she pulled back, stumbling a little as she gave Chrisjen a wide-eyed look, trying to slow down her breathing. Chrisjen looked a little dazed herself, her chest moving rapidly against the tight fabric of her flightsuit. Bobbie licked her lips and, god, she could still taste her there. “What – what was that for?”

Chrisjen raised an eyebrow, her hands moving over her hips as if to straighten her clothes. “That was for me. And a little incentive for you to come back.” That definitely sounded like an order and Bobbie just nodded, hoping she wouldn’t have to disappoint her.


	4. Chrisjen/Cotyar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One person pouting, only to have it removed by a kiss from the other person

There was something oddly satisfying in watching Chrisjen be out of her element. Cotyar didn’t necessarily enjoy seeing her be this uncomfortable, but she was the kind of person who could walk into any situation and own it, made it play out exactly the way she wanted it. To see her brow furrowed, her lips pursed and practically jump out of her chair as soon as they had gotten the all clear that the dropship had docked and leave the cramped area was new and it was interesting. Although probably not a good thing to have her in this nervous of a mindset if they were going to deal with Mao.

He left the marine to fend for herself and followed Chrisjen to a small private area where he found her pacing, the click of her heels muffled against the carpet. She shot him a dirty look as he closed the door behind him. Oh good, she was still in a terrible mood. “If you mention that we’re walking into a trap one more goddamn time, I will have you tossed out of this fucking ship.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” The look in her eyes could have melted the hull of the ship and it said that she knew he would definitely dream of it. For now he would keep those comments to himself. He never was sure when she was serious with her threats to do grievous bodily harm. But the amusement he felt at watching her be uncomfortable was starting to fade and he sighed, watching her walk the length of the space. “You need to breathe.”

“I am fucking breathing,” she snapped and stopped pacing. Cotyar raised his hands in surrender and carefully approached her, glad to see that she was letting him. He could see that she was breathing, but it was a little shallow and irregular. It made sense in a way. She could fight any battle, take on any enemy, but this wasn’t a fight. This was fear, or at least a huge discomfort, and she wasn’t good at fighting herself.

“No, you need to breathe, properly.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and ignored the incredulous expression on her face. “I’m afraid your heart will give out and I would hate to blame your death on the Martian back there.”

Chrisjen gave him a spectacular eyeroll, but he spotted the smallest hint of a smile in the corner of her mouth and there wasn’t any anger behind her next curse as her hands lightly landed on his hips. “Motherfucker.”

“You alright?” he asked a little more seriously. As much as he had smirked when she had been seemed a little scared, even though he knew her fear was justified after the transport from Pallas incident, but he kind of needed her to be alright. Chrisjen looked up at him and he immediately realized he shouldn’t have asked her that. He shook his head slightly and squeezed her shoulders. “Stupid question.”

“It was. I just fucking hate space and space travel and everything associated with it.” The grip on his hips tightened and she looked almost more defeated than she did annoyed. She was even pouting, even though he had learned to not point that out anymore, because she always vehemently denied it. It was endearing and the allure of her bottom lip was too much to resist. Giving her plenty of time to shove him away, he leaned closer until there was only a hair’s breadth between them.

When she didn’t stop him, he closed even that small distance, kissing her softly, capturing her bottom lip between his own. He actually felt some of the tension in her shoulders disappear as she kissed him back. It made him wish they had more time, that there wasn’t a Martian marine on board whom he still didn’t quite trust. He wanted to be on Earth with a bed so he could give her what she needed, what they both wanted. But for now a kiss would have to do, until this mess was resolved.

“Was that supposed to be distracting?” she asked, arching an eyebrow, her lipstick somehow still perfect. Cotyar shrugged, tracing her bottom lip with his thumb.

“Yep.” It had been as much a distracting move as it had been something he had wanted to do before they reached Mao’s ship. It was a trap they were flying into and a trap he wasn’t sure he was prepared for, could prepare for. But Cotyar didn’t want to tell her that, even though he suspected Chrisjen already knew. She usually did.

“It didn’t work.” She raised her chin defiantly. Her pout was gone, so was the worry in her eyes and tension she had carried. Kissing her had worked, but he would gladly play along to make this moment last longer. Her hands moved from his hips to underneath his jacket, her palms warm through the fabric of his shirt against his lower back.

“I can try again.”

“I think you should.” Chrisjen met him halfway when he leaned down to kiss her again.


	5. Bobbie/Cotyar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected kiss that shocks the one receiving it

Cotyar felt nervous which was a strange sensation that he hadn’t felt quite like this in years. By some miracle he had survived getting off Mao’s ship, had been picked up by the UNN, had a gut wound healed and then had managed to get to vac suit before the protomolecule had reached him. And now here he was, on James Holden’s ship with Chrisjen, who had slapped him squarely across the face before wrapping her arms around him and cursing him into the next century.

There may have also been some kisses which would have ended up in some desperate sex if they hadn’t gotten the message that Holden was coming back with a bunch of kids and more importantly, an injured Draper. He had watched her being carried in by the pilot, limping, every inch of her bruised. She had given him an empty look before the drugs kicked in and she had passed out, which was probably for the better.

So now here he sat, watching her heartbeat, waiting for Chrisjen to return or for the drugs to slowly stop working, whichever happened first. It turned out it was the latter when Bobbie’s heartrate increased a little and her eyes began to flutter open. Cotyar immediately moved to her side, carefully taking her hand, wanting to be an anchor for her as she returned to reality.

“Hey Marine,” he whispered. It took a moment for Bobbie’s eyes to focus on him and then another for her to realize who she was looking at. When it finally clicked she gave him a groggy smile and squeezed his fingers. He felt a warmth settle in his stomach as he looked at her.

“Spy. You made it.” Her skin was still more bruise than its original shade, but there was no mistaking that accent or that tone. This was Bobbie Draper and she was here and she was alive. He had to resist the sudden urge to hug her as relief coursed through his veins. She was a marine, she was supposed to risky, stupid shit, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t been scared when Chrisjen had told him what she had done.

“Barely. You look worse though.” What was gunshot wound and a little protomolecule compared to going one on one with a hybrid and living to tell the tale? Bobbie tried to smile.

“Ah, you should see the other guy.” It was probably for the best that he couldn’t. The Rocinante had nuked the site of the lab, destroying all evidence of the protomolecule there, including Bobbie’s hybrid. But the big mechanic had already told him Bobbie had done quite a number on him, emptying her gun into its head.

“You killed your dragon, huh?” Bobbie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, there were tears in her eyes and Cotyar felt his heart break a little. She was so strong and powerful, had saved his ass and Chrisjen’s, had destroyed something that was impossible to destroy, but she was still human. Carefully he wiped away a tear that nearly rolled into her hairline, letting his thumb rest against her cheekbone.

“I did.” She didn’t sound proud or victorious. She sounded tired, like it hadn’t been the catharsis she had sought. He could have told her that slaying your dragons doesn’t give you the peace you seek, but she wouldn’t have listened. At least now she knew.

“You scared her, Marine. You scared me when I heard what you did.” He had no doubt Chrisjen would tell her all about how terrified she had been in a less than subtle way, but he wanted to say it as well. He got wanting to get revenge, but not at the near cost of one’s own life. The tired expression on Bobbie’s face was changed into of sadness as if it suddenly hit her that she had people who cared about her on this ship.

On an impulse, on the feeling that he didn’t want to lose her, Cotyar leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Bobbie inhaled sharply, but after a moment a her lips started moving against his, the grip she had on his fingers tightening until it hurt. Cotyar smiled and pulled back, kissing her forehead before looking down at her. “Don’t scare us again.”

Bobbie looked thoroughly confused and speechless, pressing her lips together as if she couldn’t quite believe what had just happened. Somehow he could barely believe it himself. “I – what?”

“We’ll talk about it later. Just rest and heal.”


	6. Chrisjen/Bobbie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Distracting kisses from someone that are meant to stop the other person from finishing their work, and give them kisses instead

Chrisjen had the talent of firing orders at people faster than any PDC could. Bobbie was a little awestruck watching her as Chrisjen walked into the apartment in the UN building, talking to one of her assistants no doubt. Bobbie almost felt sorry for who was on the other end and she hoped they were recording this conversation. Confirming appointments there, canceling them somewhere else, blacklisting one motherfucking idiot and inviting another to dinner.

As she poured herself a drink, Chrisjen smiled at her, rolled her eyes and continued talking. Bobbie smiled back as she muted the television, smiling wider when she was handed a glass of whiskey most Martians could only dream of. She caught Chrisjen’s wrist before she could walk away and brushed her lips against the inside of her palm, looking up to watch Chrisjen’s lips part and the tip of her tongue flick out to wet her bottom lip.

“Fuck…No, not you. Where was I?” Bobbie felt an immense of amount of pride that such a small gesture had managed to momentarily distract Chrisjen. Chrisjen caressed her cheek and walked away, gesturing to open the door to the small outside area. She looked so beautiful today, draped in gold and blue that moved like it was liquid. She looked like royalty from centuries ago and it just made Bobbie realize that she had barely spent any time together.

Abandoning the whiskey without ever taking a sip, she decided to take advantage of the fact that Chrisjen was on an audio-only call. Bobbie walked up behind her and trailed her fingers down her arm before wrapping her arms around Chrisjen’s waist and resting her chin on her shoulder, breathing in the fresh air, even as the comforting sound of Chrisjen voice continued to hurl orders.

When Chrisjen didn’t stop, even though she had once stated she preferred to do as little work as possible at home (before grumbling that this fucking apartment would never be home), Bobbie turned her head. The line from her neck the edge of her shoulder was bare, except for a necklace. Smirking, she kissed just behind Chrisjen’s ear, knowing it would make it shiver. She wasn’t disappointed when she could her stiffen in her arms.

Sadly, she barely faltered in her fairly one-sided conversation, so Bobbie moved to kiss her neck, barely there kisses at first, slowly building up the pressure, until she was just shy of leaving a mark, nipping at the sensitive skin with her teeth as Chrisjen seemed to lose her train of thought several times and covered Bobbie’s hands with her own, seemingly to steady herself. Bobbie smiled against her neck and bit softly just above the necklace.

Without warning, Chrisjen muted her earpiece and spun around her arms. She was a little flushed, her eyes were dark and she looked a slightly heated. Good. That had been exactly what she wanted.

“Bobbie…” Chrisjen tried to sound exasperated, but Bobbie could see straight through that. She was turned on and it wouldn’t take much to have her put down work for the night. She missed her and she wanted her.

“Yes, ma’am?” she tried innocently.

“Don’t ‘ma’am’ me. You know exactly what you’re doing.” Chrisjen actually poked her in the chest with her finger and Bobbie smiled. It was cute when she was pretending to be annoyed with her.

“And I’m not gonna stop. Earth will continue spinning if you stop working for a moment. Send that poor girl home and spend some time with me.” Chrisjen narrowed her eyes, but Bobbie didn’t budge. She just held her close, looking down at her, waiting for her to give in already. Thankfully, that didn’t take long when Chrisjen suddenly sighed.

“Fuck, fine.” She unceremoniously hung up on her assistant and tossed her earpiece on the table. “You have my full attention.”

Bobbie didn’t bother responding. She simply picked Chrisjen up and kissed her properly as she walked her over to the bed.


	7. Chrisjen/Bobbie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A gentle kiss that quickly descends into passion, with little regard for what’s going on around them

It felt strange to walk on Luna. There weren’t any guards with her, that she knew of, no distrusting glances at the defected Martian just after a war had ended. She was allowed to just walk around now, just another Martian now that there was free travel between Earth and Mars. And even if she had run into any trouble, she had come here on Chrisjen’s request, a quick transfer of data would show that and clear up everything.

Of course, the part where Chrisjen currently lived was guarded. She might be the outgoing Secretary-General, but she still needed guards and some semblance of privacy. But the security detail just nodded at her. Bobbie shook her head. Typical Chrisjen to make ensure that her team knew to expect a guest and know exactly what she looked like. She had almost missed that kind reliability. No, not almost. She had missed it.

She had missed her.

When she reached Chrisjen’s door, she dutifully rang the chime even though she was almost certain she would have been able to open the door with her device. She was pretty sure Chrisjen had given her access to her house before she had even set foot on a transport to Luna, but it feels wrong to just walk in like she belongs there. She doesn’t, she never will. But the thought of being with Chrisjen again, it’s soothing in a way. After everything that happened on Mars, Chrisjen seems like the one fixed point in her life at the moment.

The door opens and everything around her seems to stop. She hasn’t seen in Chrisjen in person since that state dinner and that…wasn’t good. She felt used and lashed out even though she later realized that maybe Chrisjen genuinely wanted to see her. The words “Come work for me” had gone around in her mind a million times. Chrisjen didn’t offer things like that if she didn’t mean them. Chrisjen had offered her a job and she had yelled at her.

Seeing her now, wearing one of her silk nightgowns and a robe that was more see-through than useful, it brought the guilt she had felt for months back up. It closed around her throat like a hand. She asked a woman who had just lost everything for help like she hadn’t shouted at her, like she hadn’t left her after they had spent weeks together, being so close to an actual couple. She had loved her, still did. And now she was standing in front of her.

Her hair was longer, she stupidly thought. So much was happening and she focused on Chrisjen’s hair. Chrisjen had cut her hair shorter when the job of Secretary-General had started to become more demanding, but it was long again, the way Bobbie had known it to be when she had first kissed her on the Rocinante. She looked tired, beautiful, but tired and Bobbie wanted nothing more than smooth all those signs of fatigue and worry away.

Chrisjen looked up at her, seemingly smaller than Bobbie remembered. Maybe it was the fact that her feet were bare or the fact that she always appeared to be larger than life. But she was here, standing in front of her, so real, and Bobbie didn’t know what to do.

“Bobbie,” Chrisjen said, her voice washing over Bobbie. She took a step forward and Bobbie forgot how to breathe. There was so much shit going on, so much that she couldn’t quite unravel, but Chrisjen was still Chrisjen. She felt her fingers against her hand and grabbed them as if her life depended on it.

She wasn’t sure who moved first. Maybe they both moved at the same time, but a moment later she felt Chrisjen’s lips against her own, a soft kiss that reminded her of everything she had missed from the moment she had rejoined MMC, of everything that she could have had if her pride hadn’t been wounded at the dinner, if she had just taken Chrisjen up on her offer. For a moment, everything made sense again and then Chrisjen pulled away.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” It wasn’t a platitude. Bobbie knew Chrisjen meant it. It was so good to hear, but she couldn’t find any words to reply. She just wanted her closer. She didn’t care they were technically still out in the open, that anyone with access to this area could watch them, she simply tangled her fingers in Chrisjen’s hair and kissed her again. No softness this time. Bobbie wanted her to know just how much she had missed her.

Chrisjen gave as good as she got, parting her lips, kissing her with just as much need as Bobbie. It was tongue and teeth, and desperate hands clutching at each other as if they had been afraid they would never see each other again. Bobbie had missed her, wished this could last even though she knew it couldn’t. Chrisjen would put all the pieces Bobbie was going to give her together, realize whatever was going on and then she’d need to save the day, they both probably would.

The grip Chrisjen had on her almost hurt, but Bobbie didn’t mind. She needed this, if only for a moment, for however long this would last.

“I’ve missed you,” Bobbie managed after their kiss had stopped, resting her forehead against Chrisjen’s. She wanted to apologize for what she had said, yelled, but she knew Chrisjen would dismiss her. She understood. They both understood. Chrisjen squeezed her hand.

“Come inside, let’s get you settled.”


	8. Chrisjen/Bobbie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deep kisses where they have their hands tangled in each other’s hair to pull them closer

Bobbie loved the way Chrisjen kissed, loved how there seemed to be an endless amount of differences in the kisses she was given. She had somehow suspected Chrisjen to be forward, almost harsh, claiming what she wanted, overwhelming Bobbie, which she did, sometimes. But there had been soft, barely there kisses that didn’t necessarily have to lead anywhere, distracted ones, where she just took a second to look up from her work, kiss Bobbie and continue to run the planet, but also the kind that took Bobbie’s breath away.

They weren’t quite there yet now, but they were definitely building up to it. She had managed to pull Chrisjen away from work, which had really only happened because Chrisjen had somewhat managed to catch up with everything going on and knew she had the time to fool around on her sofa. The only time Bobbie had ever managed to distract Chrisjen enough to make her put down her work, she had kneeled between Chrisjen’s thighs under her desk and used her mouth and fingers until Chrisjen hadn’t been able to keep up the pretense of working anymore.

Normally, it was difficult to distract the Earther, so Bobbie was grateful that Chrisjen was allowing herself the time to make out. Slow, deep kisses that had Bobbie feeling breathless and caused Chrisjen to start making soft sounds in the back of her throat that made Bobbie press her thighs together. Chrisjen turned her on so easily, it was almost ridiculous. She barely knew where to put her hands and she needed her closer, much closer.

She was met with a frown when she pulled away from Chrisjen for a moment. Shit, she was beautiful when her makeup was a little messed up and there was a color on her cheeks. “Something wrong?”

“Yes.” Bobbie didn’t give Chrisjen time to reply, she simply moved her hands to her hips and picked her up, moving her so she was straddling her thighs, the folds of her skirts ending up a rumpled mess, even more so when Bobbie moved her hands underneath, running her fingers over Chrisjen’s thighs. “There, problem solved.”

Chrisjen shook her head, but leaned closer, cupping the back of Bobbie’s head to guide her into another kiss. Her fingers tried to move into Bobbie’s hair, but the tight bun was getting in her way. She made a frustrated noise and abruptly broke the kiss, flicking her fingers against Bobbie’s bun. “Take this out. It’s getting in my fucking way.”

“My hair is getting in your way?” she asked incredulously, pointing at the intricate updo that Chrisjen had today. It even had jewels woven in it. Bobbie didn’t even know where to start, but Chrisjen wasn’t impressed, waiting impatiently for Bobbie to take her bun out. After a beat, Bobbie sighed and yanked the elastic out, letting her hair fall freely around her face. Chrisjen tried to get closer, put her hands in it and kiss her again, but Bobbie caught her wrists. “Your turn.”

Chrisjen sighed and almost pouted, but Bobbie didn’t let go, looking at her expectantly. “Fuck, you’re stubborn. Alright, let me go.”

Bobbie smiled and let go of her wrists but not before kissing her quickly, deciding not to comment on the stubborn remark, because that could launch a long discussion and she just wanted Chrisjen to take her hair down and then kiss her senseless before taking her to bed which had the softest goddamn sheets she had ever felt.

But she definitely enjoyed watching Chrisjen pull the pins out of her hair, slowly unraveling everything that was going on, picking out the string of jewels and dumping it on the sofa like it was nothing, before undoing the braid and her hair was finally down. It made her look so different, so beautiful. Bobbie didn’t waste any time, tangling her fingers in Chrisjen’s hair and pulling her closer, capturing her lips in a kiss that was meant to tell her just how much she wanted her.

Chrisjen moaned, her nails scraping over Bobbie’s scalp as she grabbed a handful of hair just above her neck, tight enough that it sent tingles down Bobbie’s spine. There was so much more heat this now. Chrisjen teasingly bit her bottom lip and rolled her hips, making Bobbie glad she was already sitting down. The feeling of Chrisjen’s tongue against her own, the slight pull on her hair, it made her knees weak.

She pulled her as close as she could, groaning at the press of her body against her own, the slight pull on her hair. She felt surrounded by her and it was a fantastic feeling. Bobbie dragged her nails up the inside of Chrisjen’s thigh, stopping just short of the lace of her underwear. She grinned when she felt her shiver, making a noise close to a whimper. A harsh little yank on her hair put some distance between them. Chrisjen’s eyes were almost black and her lipstick was almost gone now.

“We’re not going to fuck on the sofa.” Bobbie smirked and pressed her fingers against her panties, feeling the heat there. She wanted her just as badly as Bobbie did.

“We’re not?” The look in Chrisjen’s eyes told her that they were absolutely we’re going to have sex on the sofa. And she was going to feel it tomorrow.


	9. Chrisjen/Bobbie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An awkward kiss given after a first date

Chrisjen could feel Bobbie at her back as they stepped out of the restaurant. She had looked good in the suit and what was essentially their first date had been pleasant enough, but something felt off. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Bobbie hadn’t felt a comfortable, from the moment she had put on the suit Chrisjen had had made from her until even now.

Bobbie smiled at her and even that felt slightly forced. She was being polite which didn’t suit her at all. If anything she could always count on Bobbie being brutally honest. Instead the Martian leaned down and kissed her softly, but the placement of her hands felt awkward and the press of her lips was off. Their first kiss had been less weird than that. “Thank you. I had a wonderful evening.”

Chrisjen narrowed her eyes. Bobbie was many things, but a decent liar she was not. “Bullshit. I fucked up, didn’t I?”

“What? Why?” The shocked expression on Bobbie’s face was almost comical as if she were actually surprised that Chrisjen had managed to see through her politeness façade, but Chrisjen patience with Bobbie’s pretending had officially run out. She raised an eyebrow.

“Bobbie.” Her marine toughed it out for a few more seconds before her shoulders slumped and she nodded, looking incredibly guilty. Shit. The evening hadn’t been good, but she didn’t want Bobbie to think it was somehow her fault. Chrisjen sighed. “I shouldn’t have taken you somewhere this upscale. It’s not you.”

“But it is you though.” It was and that was the problem. Bobbie couldn’t be more different from her if she tried. They shared a few characteristics, stubbornness, not suffering any fucking fools and willing to do anything for their people being a couple of them, but their background, upbringing, lifestyles, there weren’t any similarities. Which Chrisjen hadn’t taken into account when she had flown them to Argentina to have dinner in a really exclusive and expensive restaurant. It was their first time going out for dinner together and she had done what she had always done.

“You live in my house, you’re part of my security detail, you’re not even on your own planet. Everything in your life is currently me or a part of me. The least I could have done was taken you somewhere that was more you.” She knew a few places or could find out about them. She wasn’t sure if there were any Martian-style restaurants, at least none where she could show her face, but there were places she could have taken Bobbie that weren’t so completely out of her comfort zone.

Bobbie shrugged, offering her a weak smile. “I liked the steak.”

“The steak is fucking spectacular. It’s why I took you here.” At least it hadn’t been a total fucking disaster. Everyone deserved to have a decent steak that wasn’t grown in a vat at least once in their life. Chrisjen reached out and took Bobbie’s hand, intertwining their fingers. They didn’t get to spend a lot of time together, so what little time they had, she wanted it to be good. “I’ll do better, next time. I know of a place in New Zealand that might be more you.”

Bobbie’s eyes lit up at the sound of it. Her family had been on Mars for a few generations already, but clearly they had told Bobbie of their heritage. It would be interesting to introduce Bobbie to her family’s home country. The nature and view alone would make for a good memory. “Sounds great.”

“Now I believe you.” Bobbie chuckled and kissed her again, but this time, there was no awkwardness. This time, it felt like it ought to.


	10. Chrisjen/Bobbie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hello/good-bye kiss that is given without thinking - where neither person thinks twice about it

Bobbie could stand still for hours, it didn’t take much of an effort, but she was glad when she could move again after standing mostly like a statue in Chrisjen’s office while she conducting a meeting with some annoyed governor of some part of Earth that didn’t sound familiar to Bobbie. She hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation, that wasn’t her job. Her job was security, for now and it suited her fine. Gave her a chance to be close to Chrisjen who worked absolutely impossible hours.

She watched as Chrisjen closed the screen and muttered some obscenity under her breath before looking at Bobbie, her brow furrowed. “For fuck’s sake, stop doing that.”

“My job?”

“Standing there like you’re just another person on my security team. At ease, soldier.” Bobbie shrugged and relaxed, approaching Chrisjen’s desk. She had dozens of messages waiting for her, but Chrisjen ignored them for a moment as she rubbed her temples, looking at her. “Never get into politics and if you do, don’t get the top job. It’s nothing but headaches and fucking idiots thinking they know better.”

“I really wasn’t planning on it.” She never cared for politics and despite her feelings for Chrisjen and her admiration for how she did her job, she had soured on it even more lately. This was as close as she was going to get to being political. Chrisjen gave her a small smile and stood up, rounding the desk and leaning against it. From the corner of her eye, Bobbie could see more messages coming in for Chrisjen, who apparently decided she needed a short break. Good. She needed one.

“Smart girl.” Chrisjen’s fingers brushed against the back of Bobbie’s hand. A little gesture that showed how much she appreciated having her around, something, someone solid, someone she trusted, who gave a moment’s of rest and calmness when she craved it. Even if it was just by seeking her out with her gaze. “How long until your shift ends?”

“Any minute –” The door opened and her replacement appeared. “- now”

Bobbie always hated the end of the shift, leaving Chrisjen’s safety to someone else, having to go home while Chrisjen continued to work. The disappointment she felt was mirrored on Chrisjen’s face, albeit a lot better hidden than her own probably was.

“See you at home,” Chrisjen said, her voice soft, before raising herself up on her toes and capturing Bobbie’s lips in a kiss. Bobbie kissed her back for a moment before she realized they were doing this in front of someone. It just felt so natural, so normal, that she forgot her replacement was in the same room. She wondered if Chrisjen realized, of if she simply didn’t care. It was probably the latter. Bobbie was sure the surprise was written clearly on her face when they broke their kiss.

It became abundantly clear that Chrisjen didn’t give a fuck they had an audience and actually smirked a little as she carefully wiped a hint of lipstick off Bobbie’s bottom lip with her thumb.

“Yes, see you at home.”


	11. Chrisjen/Bobbie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kissing tears from the other’s face

Bobbie kind of wished she had brought a robe or a blanket when she stepped into the room that was chilly with the night’s air. The window was open wide and she could see Chrisjen sitting on the roof. She hadn’t come into the bedroom so hello when she came home, she had gone straight here and after half an hour had gone by, Bobbie had dragged herself out of bed and made her way here. Right now, she was wondering if that was the right the decision.

Even in the soft light of the stars and the moon, she could see something was wrong. Chrisjen was curled in on herself, her chin resting on her knees, the clear evidence of tears on her cheeks. Bobbie froze when she noticed that. She had seen tears in Chrisjen’s eyes, but she had never seen her cry. There had been a gradually growing dark cloud surrounding Chrisjen this past week, but Bobbie had attributed it to work, not this. It almost felt wrong to witness it, but the thought of leaving her alone like that felt worst. With a sight she hoisted herself up through the window.

Chrisjen jumped at the sound, her eyes wide for a moment before she realized it was Bobbie, and she relaxed marginally. “Fucking… I thought you were asleep.”

Bobbie shook her head and made her way towards Chrisjen. If she ever managed to sleep before Chrisjen returned from her work, it was always light and she woke up when she heard the front door close. Carefully she sat down next to her, keeping a little bit of distance between them. She didn’t want to invade her space too much. She looked so vulnerable, still in her sari, still wearing her jewelry. She was every bit the leader of Earth, except for the open hair, the red-rimmed eyes and the tears.

“Crying is human, y’know,” she offered, feeling a bit helpless. She had come to know many different sides of Chrisjen, from angry to tired to soft and sweet, but this, this was new and she didn’t know how to deal with it.

“So they say.” She even sounded distant. Shit. Bobbie felt like she needed some way to connect with her, to make sure that she felt she wasn’t alone, that she had someone who cared about her, right here, next to her. She held out her arm, not touching Chrisjen yet, and tried to put on an expression that wasn’t threatening in anyway. She just wanted to show her she had the intent of comforting, as best as she could.

“Can I?” Bobbie assumed the jerky shrug was a ‘yes’ and scooted to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. The fabric of her sari felt cold and underneath she could feel her shivering. Had she been up here this entire time? She pulled her closer, hoping she could give her some of her warmth. Chrisjen didn’t say anything, she was just quiet. Even her tears were silent and it hurt Bobbie to see her like this.

“I cried. After I lost my team, when I found out Martians were betraying Martians. After I killed the hybrid. You saw that time.” She had cried more often these past few months than she had the past few years combined. It had been a fucked up time. But she had come out of it with Chrisjen who had held her hand and kissed her forehead when the realization of everything had hit her on the Rocinante. She wanted to offer that same sense of safety and security to her. “I haven’t seen you cry once and you’ve lost people too.”

Other than Cotyar, Bobbie didn’t know their names, but she knew there had more, maybe even people Chrisjen had been close to once. But she hadn’t seen Chrisjen grieve, take the time to deal with the loss. She had thrown herself into her work, which Bobbie could understand, maybe better than anyone, but she also knew it wasn’t healthy. After a moment of silence, Chrisjen sniffed. “I don’t cry often.”

“I figured.” Bobbie gave Chrisjen plenty of time to say more but when that didn’t happen, but there were still tears on her face, Bobbie shifted so she could look at her a little better.“C’mere”

Chrisjen looked at her a little quizzically, but didn’t stop her when Bobbie softly cupped her jaw and leaned in to kiss her cheek, tasting the salt of her tears on her lips. She moved to the other cheek, kissing it as well and felt Chrisjen take a shaky breath. Her eyes closed and Bobbie gently kissed her eyelids and then her forehead. When Chrisjen’s eyes opened again, she felt a little more relaxed. “You don’t have to hide from me.”

“I wasn’t fucking hiding.” It sounded almost petulant, but Bobbie ignored it and simply kissed her lips. Even there she could taste her tears, but at least Chrisjen kissed her back, sighing when Bobbie pulled away. “This is where I usually come to think, look at the stars and a have a quiet moment. It’s calming. Fuck, I sound like Arjun.”

“He married you, he must be a wise man,” she said with a smile. Chrisjen rolled her eyes and she seemed to have stopped crying. She covered Bobbie’s hands with her own and pulled them from her face, holding them. Her fingers were freezing. Bobbie was going to pile blankets on her when she got her back inside.

“There are many people who would disagree with you on that. Brave, maybe. An idiot more likely.” Bobbie chuckled and kissed her cold fingers.

“Feel better?”

“Better is a big fucking word right now. But I do.” The words ‘for now’ hung unsaid in the air.


End file.
